Samoset

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Samoset is an unincorporated community in Manatee County, Florida It was originally incorporated as a city in September 1926, and had a reported population of 1,034. The name of Samoset may have come from an Indian chief, but it also said that the township was named for a flag station of the Atlantic Coast Railroad Line. The new city's seal consisted of an Indian head, a palm tree, and the year 1926, all surrounded by the name "Samoset" and Florida at the bottom. There were a few subdivisions that were developed before the incorporation, consisting of Listville, Hill Park, and Pinecrest, all of which were consolidated into the new city of Samoset. William A. Thomas built the new community's first general store, a two-story brick building, in 1925. The original boundaries of the township ran south from Bradenton city limits to present-day Cortez Road along 1st Street and a mile east of old Bradenton-Sarasota Road. The city of Manatee bordered it from the north, but it merged with Bradenton in 1944 and is now known as East Bradenton. Manatee's original borders ran from 1st Street to Braden River. Early pioneers Thomas, George, and Luke Wyatt, and Eva Felts secured the installation of power lines from Southern Power Company. Upon incorporation, R.R. Rodeman, a developer, was elected the town's first mayor. G.L. Bryant was made city clerk, W.W. Fry town marshal, and Claud Schafer, George Wyatt, W.D. Thomas, C.A. Bingham, and E.F. Staples made up the city council. New mayor Rodeman was the developer of the above-mentioned subdivisions as well as that of Sunshine Ridge. Within days of the town's incorporation, a group of 20 residents organized in a bid to dissolve the new incorporation, but the move failed. Meanwhile, a new school opened in October of 1926, and had an enrollment of 30 children and was housed in the community hall. A teacher, Mrs. Charles Bingham, taught second and third grades. Another teacher, Mrs. Gladys La Croix instructed 55 more children in the primary room (probably kindergarten and first grades). In March of 1927, a post office opened and city clerk Joseph E. Bryant was made postmaster, and a stand-alone building was subsequently constructed. A new church, Missionary Baptist was founded in May of that year and consisted of 20 parishoners. In August of 1927, Samoset residents election was held, and S. Ed Curry succeeded outgoing mayor R.R. Rodeman, while J.P. Haynes and W.D. Thomas were elected to city council. In addition, E.B. Johnson was elected city clerk and F.A. Schmacher was marshal. In June 1928, another move to abolish the new town failed and the town continued on, until December when the move to abolish the town finally went though by a vote of 115 to 31.

Later and recent years

After the dissolution, the area returned to rural status.Throughout the Depression and war years the area stagnated and experienced little to no growth. By the 1950s and 1960s, the area saw an increase in both population and the construction of new homes, as development moved further west towards the beaches and south towards Sarasota. In 1971, the post office was damaged in a fire. It was temporarily re-located in DeMott's American Service Station. After a period of decline, the 1980s saw new condominiums and new businesses began to move in, such as Beall's Department Stores, which moved its corporate headquarters there in July of 1985. This was a much-needed infusion into the ailing community, which had suffered over the years from the loss of its post office, deteriorating older homes and shell roads. Residents began to repair homes and a local crime watch was organized during the 1980s. After a number of years of having its own fire department, it merged along with Oneco and Tallevast's into Southeast Manatee Fire District. Many residents have worked for such businesses as Tropicana and Miller Trailers (which moved its headquarters to the Samoset area in 1983 and is now defunct). In 2019, Samoset was cited as having an unemployment rate higher than the rest of Manatee County. In a county commission meeting in December of 2019, plans were presented to county commissioners to address affordable housing shortages in the county. A 3-acre lot that was formerly a farm in Samoset was chosen for a 16-home development. The development project is to be undertaken by Habitat for Humanity.

Samoset's business and industries

While agriculture and farming dominated the area from the beginning, businesses managed to prosper despite the Depression and wartime restrictions. According to a 1940 newpaper article, the community of Samoset was well-known for a travertine industry, where deposits of the material were found in the area. This particular variety of travertine was stronger, nearly soundproof, and could be cut cleanly. Travertine is a building stone that was derived from lime, recomposed and then hardened. It was used as far back as the Romans and it was reported that the Samoset area was the only location in the United States where the material could be found. A brand of mineral water was also produced from the travertine mine in the 1930s. Advertisements at the time claimed it could help Bright's disease and other organ disorders of the body. The travertine plant had been founded by Erasmus F. Staples years earlier and thrived for many years until Staples was forced out of business during World War II, due to labor and rising production costs. A native of Kentucky, Staples had come to Florida in 1915, and in the ensuing years after the closing of his business, he was appointed to Manatee County Board of Adjustment in the 1940s and early 1950s. He and his wife were tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1959. A newspaper clipping from 1955 noted that the quarry and plant was up and running again under new ownership, and was known as Bradenton Stone Company.

In 1949, Vernon DeSear and his brothers Marshall and Robert established DeSear's Appliances in a grocery store in Samoset, which over the years consisted of 24 stores in the Manatee-Sarasota area as well as the central part of the state. The DeSears' father Robert A., had been a farmer and had come to Samoset from Alabama in 1903. Despite the growth of their business, they continued to be active in the Samoset community for years to come.

References

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